FIU in DC launched its Cuba Desk series in Washington this month with bold programming that tackles high-profile issues surrounding the current tenuous status of Havana's Díaz-Canel regime.
The university has undertaken groundbreaking work that reveals the fullest picture yet of an increasingly dire situation.
Researchers at FIU's Kimberly Green Latin American & Caribbean Center (KG-LACC) collaborated with colleagues at Vanderbilt University to gather citizen sentiment on the island.
The AmericasBarometer delivers a searing indictment of the government and a bleak snapshot of everyday life. The sample included 1,095 residents age 18 and older from all provinces. Interviews were conducted online from June 19 to July 6.
An overwhelming 94% of respondents spoke of widespread economic hardship. Other key findings include exceptionally low confidence in national institutions and strong concern about speaking openly about politics. The results also show support among surveyed Cubans for a larger U.S. role in a possible democratic transition.
The poll offers a rare, direct measure of attitudes among internet-connected Cubans toward democracy, their views of current social, economic and political conditions and their understanding of outside actors involved on the island including the United States and China.
"The results of the poll show that while there is apprehension about voicing it, sentiments amongst Cubans about the current regime are worsening," said Jose Miguel Cruz, interim director of KG-LACC and the lead FIU researcher on the AmericasBarometer poll. "While it is not a perfect representation, this poll is the closest approach we've had to public opinion in Cuba."
Daniel Montalvo, director of survey operations at Vanderbilt's Center for Global Democracy, indicated that the results show that "Cubans hold their own government, not U.S. sanctions, primarily responsible for the crisis."
Cuba Watch at the Security Research Hub
Beyond the insider perspectives of the social, economic and political upheaval captured by the AmericasBarometer, the growing number of citizen protests and the continuing physical deterioration of the island are under examination as well.
Researchers at FIU's Gordon Institute unveiled Cuba Watch, a geospatial situational-awareness dashboard designed to support U.S. government planning for potential humanitarian assistance to the Cuban people. Developed through FIU's Security Research Hub, the platform brings together open-source information on conditions across the island to help users better understand the operating environment and identify areas of potential vulnerability should humanitarian assistance be required.
The dashboard maps and tracks several layers of information, including protests and civil activity; key security facilities such as police, fire and military sites; social infrastructure including medical, academic and religious facilities; and indicators of community vulnerability. It also maps critical infrastructure — including airports, seaports, energy-production facilities and transmission lines — as well as road and rail networks and available Wi-Fi locations.
Cuba Watch complements this geospatial picture with live alerts on significant developments across the island, including protests, key government actions and natural and human-caused disasters. Together, these capabilities provide users with a more current understanding of conditions that could affect humanitarian access, logistics, transportation, communications and the delivery of assistance.
The platform is currently available to U.S. government users, with FIU working toward expanding access in the coming months. The objective is straightforward: provide decision-makers and humanitarian partners with better information to prepare for and support the timely delivery of assistance to the Cuban people.
Brian Fonseca serves as Vice Provost for defense and national security research at FIU and the director of the Gordon Institute.
"The Cuba Watch dashboard represents a powerful example of how FIU's research, innovation and partnerships can make a real difference," says Fonseca. "By bringing together open-source data into an actionable, geospatial platform, we are providing our partners with the information they need to better prepare for and support the Cuban people as they move forward toward a freer, more democratic future."
Separately, FIU's Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom hosted a Cuba Desk presentation on Cuban intelligence penetration within the United States. Panelists explored Cuba's historical and ongoing covert footprint inside the United States, focusing on intelligence methods, infiltration networks and national security implications. The event featured insights from counterintelligence experts and researchers examining the evolution and reach of clandestine operations.
The Cuba Desk will convene decision makers and experts for timely programs relating to Cuba. FIU recently launched a Cuba transition initiative to harness the deep knowledge of its researchers in fields such as infrastructure, energy, telecommunications and population health to support U.S. government initiatives.
